Making Money Online: Distractions to Avoid

Nowadays, more and more people are making money online. You could be selling products via online auctions, promoting or developing their own blog or website, or participating in affiliate programs. Though making money online is a reality, there are several challenges to be dealt with.

Chatrooms and forums

Socialization is a major distraction for many people. Usually, people like meeting to deliberate on various issues of interest. Chatrooms and forums are ideal for this kind of interactions. However, it is very easy to engage in meaningless conversation at the expense of your online business. Be wary of spending too much time on idle chatter when you are hanging out in a chatroom or forum. Stay focused on your topic and avoid getting sidetracked. Remember your goal is making money online, not chattering away the day.

Free online games

One of the greatest time wasters for entrepreneurs seeking to make money online is free online games. Online games are a quick and easy distraction, but at the same time, they can be seriously addicting. You can easily get caught up for hours when you only intended to take a 15 minute break. When you are running an online business, you simply can’t afford to waste your valuable time. The time you spend playing online chess, poker or scrabble can be better spent promoting or building your online presence.

Television

Many people are convinced that having a television on while working doesn’t distract them. While this may be true for a few people, it is usually a justification for keeping the television on. The fact is that television will distract you since you’ll have to look away from your work to view what is being shown. If you need some background noise, music is a better option compared to the television. If you are trying to make money online, there are many better ways to spend your time than watching television.

Snacking

Snacking will not only distract you from your work, but will also result in adding some extra pounds. Going to the kitchen constantly is a waste of your available work time. Instead, you may want to keep a few healthy snacks on hand, so that you are not constantly leaving your work area for food. When you get the urge to snack, you can also use some sugarless gum to replace food. This will enable you to keep your hands free as you chew.

Online videos

Just like television, online videos can also be very distracting for someone working online. Though many online videos are interesting or funny, they won’t benefit you as much as working on your blog or website will. Youtube may be good for a short break, but it can be a significant distraction as well when you would otherwise be working on making money online.

Text messaging

Text messaging will require you to disengage both your mind and hands from whatever you are working on. Even though text messaging is designed for passing on very short messages, we all know that it’s easy to get caught up in a full blown conversation 140 characters at a time. Every once in a while, a message comes in that is extremely important and needs immediate attention, but for the most part, text messaging falls into the category of casual conversation. Most of the time the conversation isn’t pressing and you can easily wait to reply to a text message. It is advisable to put off messaging until you are done with whatever you are working on.

Final Thoughts

We all have our small vices that can distract us from our normal activities. It’s easy to get caught up in these other activities and procrastinate. However, if you are serious about making money online, you have to learn to manage these distractions. It’s good to take a short break to make sure you don’t burn out. At the same time, you will be holding yourself back if you let these distractions take over your day. As with anything in life, moderation is the key.

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8 Responses

All these are big-time time killers. they will sink the ship of productivity in no time flat. I would add social networks to this list too.

While you CAN use these to BE productive…overuse also kills productivity. Best bet is to limit your interaction to a few times a day and be stringent about it.

Sort of the same for everything on the list. If you want to watch 2 hours of TV a night, schedule it…and make sure that is ALL you do. At least that way you KNOW what type of a hit your productivity is taking and accept it.

Hi Steve,
Definitely self discipline is key. I am really cognizant of limiting TV in particular because I have a 3 year old son at home. Lately, I find that he asks for TV a little to frequently for my liking. So, I try to find other kinds of activities for him to do and it keeps me productive at the same time. Plus, I want to set a good example for him.
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Your mention about free online games made me smile on the inside. I leave my Farmville page open while I work. I originally told myself that it was only to pass the time while I waited for something to download or my FTP changes to finish up, but I've definitely seen it eat it's share of extra time. This was a great post.

That's one of my big vices too. I have to stay away from the time consuming online games and stick to those that are really quick to play when I take a short break. If I play anything complex, I totally get sucked in for hours.
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I must say that it really helped me personally. I had such a bad issues the last couple of months working in the office. However, after reading this article, i think this is the best time to avoid distractions and going down to concentrate even more.
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It’s not only about making money online it’s also valid for anyone that works from home.
The hardest part when you are working from home is to stick to a schedule. Because you are your own boss you tend to take longer and frequent breaks, either for food, browser games, social networks, quick naps or other domestic activities.
Being your own boss is all about being able to focus and stick to a well defined schedule. You shouldn’t “take it easier” just because no one’s around to check on you, but you should push yourself into working harder as you don’t have a fixed paycheck. Think that the more you work the more you make so being lazy and wasting time actually costs you money.
Dan from pencilonpaper

I actually find the opposite. When I work at home,, I often lose track of time with work and forget to take breaks. This is the flip side of the coin when working at home. However, when you do get distracted, you can also lose track of time doing your other activities as well. That’s why it’s so important to keep to aaa schedule.

LinkedIn is the most reputable social media network for professionals nowadays. Anybody looking for a job with major worldwide players (or even small-sized companies) should have a profile there. The thing is that their

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